Tunning instrument.



c. c. woons. TUNING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED MAK. 31. 1916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

n4: nouns runs 5a.. "mm-1.1mm wsmuc ran, 11cv CHARLES C. WOODS, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

TUNING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 88,050.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. Woons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuning Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to music, and more especially to tuning instruments for pianos and the like; and the object of the same is to produce an instrument of this kind adapted to mute any two of a group of three strings.

This object is carried out in the manner hereinafter described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure l is a perspective view of the instrument in use. Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections at right angles to each other. Figs. a and 5 are perspective details of the aws.

This instrument comprises abarrel or handle 1, which is tubular and preferably rectangular in cross section as shown, a pair of jaws carried permanently or removably by one end, and the jaw-operating mechanism contained within the barrel. What might be called the fixed jaw 2 is shown in Fig. 4, and the same is provided with a shank 3 shaped to fit into the lower end of the barrel, wherein it may be secured permanently or held removably at the will of the manufacturer. Between this shank and the flat inner face of the jaw is a cavity 4 depressed into said face, and at either side of said cavity is a knuckle 5. The movable jaw 6 is best shown in Fig. 5. It carries at its inner end a single knuckle 7 adapted to be inserted between the knuckles 5 5 of the fixed jaw so that a pivot pin or pintle 8 may be run through the three knuckles as seen in Fig. 3. The movable jaw also has projecting from'its flat inner face a lug or eye 9, and to the same is linked a rod 10 which leads upward through the barrel and is connected with the remote end of the latter by a contractile spring 11 as best seen in Fig. 2. The normal tendency of this spring will be to hold the jaws closed as shown in Fig. 3, and as they are beveled on their outer faces the device may then be used as an ordinary mute by inserting its closed jaws between two strings in the well-known manner. The faces of the jaws may be covered with leather or other suitable .material as usual, and the instrument used in a well known manner for tuning a pianoforte or the like wherein each note has three strings.

The numeral 12 designates a bell-crank lever pivoted at 13 in an opening 14 through one side of the barrel, pivotally connected at 15 with the rod or link 10, and having a thumb-piece 16 at its outer end. When now this thumbpiece is depressed as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the .rod or link 10 is moved downward against the tendency of the spring 11 and the movable jaw 6 is swung on its pivot 8 to the position seen in Fig. l; or in other words the jaws are opened. They may now be passed astride two strings, and when pressure on the thumb-piece is released the spring 11 will draw them together and mute these two strings. It is obvious, as also seen in Fig. 1, that the jaws might be passed astride two strings which have a third string between them, or in other words the instrument could be used to mute the outermost two strings of a three-string system. When applied to the strings as shown in Fig. 1, pressure may be removed from the thumb-piece, and in fact the entire hand can be taken from the instrument and is free for use in tuning the pianoforte.

The materials and proportions of parts are not essentials nor are the details of construction, many of which maybe changed without departing from the spirit of my lnvention.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described piano tuning instrument comprising two jaws having their inner faces flat and their outer faces be"- eled, yielding means for throwing said aws normally into contact with each other, and manually operable devices for overcoming said means and opening the jaws, for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein described tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, the same comprising two jaws pivotally connected with each other, a spring for throwing them normally into contact, and manually operable devices for swinging them open in opposition to the tension of said spring.

3. The herein described tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, the same comprising two jaws pivotally connected with each other, a handle rigidly connected with and projecting from one jaw, a spring in said handle, connections between it and the other jaw for holding the latter normally in contact with the first-named aw, and manually operable devices for overcoming the tension of the spring andswinging the movable jaw open, for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein described tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, the same comprising two jaws pivotally connected with each other, handle rigidly connected with and projecting from one jaw, a spring in said handle, a rod connecting the spring with the movable jaw for turning it on its pivot, and a thumb-piece pivoted in' the handle and connected with said rod for moving the latter against the tension of the spring, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, the combination with a fixed jaw having a shank at its inner end and a pair of knuckles on its inner face with a cavity between, a movable jaw having a single knuckle pivoted between those on' the fixed jaw, and a lug on the inner face of the movable jaw extending into said cavity; of a handle connected with said shank, a rod extending through the handle and connected withsaid lug, mechanical means for normally drawing upon said rod to throw the inner faces of the jaws into contact, and manual; devices for overcoming said means and opening the jaws, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, the combination with a fixed jaw having a shank at its inner end and a pair of knuckles on its inner face with a cavity between, a movable jaw having a single knuckle pivoted between those on the fixed jaw, and a lug on the inner face of the movable jaw extending into said cavity; of a handle connected with said shank, a rod extending through the handle and connected with saidlug, a contractile spring within the handle connecting the remote end thereof with the outer end of said rod, and a bellcrank lever pivoted to the side of the handle and having its inner end connected with the rod andits outer end carrying a thumbpiece, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a tuning instrument for pianofortes and the like, a handle, two jaws carried by said handle, a spring for throwing the jaws normally into contact, and manually operable means for swinging them open in opposition to the tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. WOODS.

WVitnesses ALBERT L. VooL, CABLE VVHITEHEAD.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

